Red Apple Fireworks sales exceed owners’ expectations

In terms of running a successful business, many owners agree that location is an important aspect.

As such, Doug Burda, owner of Red Apple Fireworks, decided to open his business at 3610 South Highway 160, the first such business for motorists as they arrive in Pahurmp.

Red Apple is the newest fireworks retailer in the town.

Burda said this week that the volume of customers has more than surpassed his expectations this year.

“I consider us the main stop for fireworks in Pahrump,” he said while watching shoppers roam the aisles. “Business is phenomenal and we have smoked all of our previous projections. It’s been very difficult to keep up with the demand, which is a good problem to have.”

Customer satisfaction is vital for his business, due to the nature of the product.

Burda said historically, customers had to rely upon the word of the salesperson regarding the visual effects of the fireworks.

“In all honesty, there’s a good chance that the salesperson has never really seen the product in action and the customer, unfortunately, doesn’t have a lot of resources to become educated about the products.”

To remedy that issue, Red Apple customers can actually view the effects of many of the products inside the store.

“We want to educate the customer about what the heck they are buying,” he said. “We have 12 television monitors in the store and anywhere you see the QR codes, the customer can download a free app on their smartphone, scan the QR code, and actually see a video demonstration of the product before they purchase it.”

Additionally, Burda said the establishment of a designated fireworks shooters’ site in town last year is also contributing to an increase in sales for all Pahrump fireworks retailers.

All fireworks transactions in Nye County must be accompanied by a $5 permit fee, which entitles customers to use the shooters’ site during any one of the designated shooting holidays where the site is open.

At present those dates are Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, and New Year’s Eve.

“I think Red Apple Fireworks’ efforts really helped with making everybody comfortable with the idea of a shooters site,” he said. “I think that goes for both sides of the equation, which are the town and the customers.”

Burda also spoke of distinct differences between his business and others retailers in town.

“We develop all of our own product in China, and we go there three to four times a year specifically to develop and oversee quality control,” he said.

As an example, Burda spoke about the types of effects and varieties of his aerial fireworks, which he said are designed to replicate flowers in bloom.

“Peony of course is a flower and that burst looks like a lot of pearls,” he said. “If you actually put it next to a peony flower, it resembles a blooming peony flower. It’s the same idea with the dahlia flower and the chrysanthemum. There are also fireworks that are created to resemble palm leaves when they burst in the sky.”

Once a purchase is made, Burda said he and his staff make it a point to emphasize the element of safety to customers.

“Technically, kids should not be handling fireworks of any kind, even sparklers,” he said. “Sparklers burn at a very high temperature and are high on the list as far as injuries are concerned.”

Burda suggested anyone with questions about how to handle fireworks can do so using several different options.

“They can do it by Facebook, Twitter, phone call or even an email,” he said. “We want the customer to understand not only what the performance is, but also what they are doing with the firework. Safety is number one and we are very accessible.”

Independence Day aside, Burda said his offseason also generates business.

“Any excuse that people have to travel between California and Las Vegas, they will take the back road and they will stop at Red Apple Fireworks to get some products. We do see spikes in business on almost every major holiday and some minor holidays as well.”

To reward his customers, Burda said his store offers what’s known as “Pyro Points.”

“That is a brand new reward program, where you get points for every dollar that you spend,” he said. “Customers can then redeem those points for different things, including free fireworks, early access to sale events and other promos.”

Burda said his interest in the fireworks industry came about from his parents who’ve been in the business for more than 35 years.

The former patent litigator said he got burned out, so to speak.

“I was looking for something new and explosive to do,” he said with a laugh. “We took a trip to Pahrump and saw this building and found an opportunity. I was ready for a change and this was it.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com.

On Twitter: @pvtimes